As dual-listed Sovereign Metals progresses with a prefeasibility study on the Kasiya project, in Malawi, the latest in graphite downstream test work at the project has confirmed the superior crystallinity and purity of Kasiya’s natural graphite.
The near-perfect crystallinity of samples from the project is an indicator of battery anode performance, meaning it can be used for lithium-ion battery production.
Crystallinity is an indicator of electrical conductivity which affects battery performance.
In 2022, the lithium-ion battery anode market became the biggest end-market for natural flake graphite, with demand for anodes having grown by 46% year-on-year, while supply grew by only 14%.
Sovereign believes the project can become one of the world’s lowest-cost and lowest carbon sources of natural graphite.
It is the largest natural rutile deposit in the world and one of the largest flake graphite deposits.
Both minerals are critical to meeting decarbonisation targets.
Kasiya hosts both natural graphite and rutile in soft, friable saprolite material at surface, which can be mined and purified at a lower carbon footprint compared with hard rock operations or synthetic graphite production.
Sovereign MD Dr Julian Stephens says producers and end-users of lithium-ion batteries are already closely monitoring the carbon footprint associated with the raw materials that feed into battery technology.
“These testwork results bolster Kasiya’s competitive advantage, indicating that not only does the project have the potential to be a dominant rutile supplier, but also a dominant supplier of graphite suitable for the lithium-ion battery industry.”